Ice crusher



July 21, 1936. H. c. JOHNSON ICE CRUSHEB.

Filed May 24, 1954 MUN H 7 W 6% Z ,0 i

Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to. ice crushers and it has to do more particularly with a portable device of this character adapted for household, and the like, use.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which is simple in construction, is inexpensive to manufacture, is of light weight, and is exceedingly strong and durable.

Another object is to provide an ice crusher Well adapted to receive and crush comparatively small pieces of ice in cube, or other,.form without the necessity of applying to the ice force other than that aiforded by the weight of the ice; whereby the ice may be crushed quickly without particular care, skill'and attention on thepart'of the user.

A further object is to provide an ice crusher having movable crushing members or jaws which engage the ice with a claw-like action so .as to positively move the ice into and hold it in crushing position.

A more specific object is to provide. an ice crusher having a rotatable crushing unitembodying a plurality of hook-like crushing fingers which both hold and crush the ice, which unit is adapted for reciprocation during rotation to aid in the crushing operation and discharge of the crushed ice.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the following description progresses and by refer- 1 ence to the drawing wherein,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of one form of structure, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line .22 of Figs. 1 and 3 and showing. the parts in an ice crushing position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional View taken at substantially the same position as Fig. 2, but

showing the parts in position prior to the crushing action.

The ice-crushing device shown in the drawing is of a portable character particularly suited for household use.

vention may well be employed in other places where its advantages are desired such, for example, as soda fountains clubs, hotels, and other beverage dispensing places. shown in the drawing is readily portable, the

structure may, if desired, be fixedly secured to a permanent support without departing from my invention.

Referring particularly to the. drawing, the

It will be understood, however, 1 that devices of this character embodying my in- Also, while the form structure shown includes a bowl or receptacle 10 which has an upper or ice-receiving opening II and a bottom or ice-discharging outlet I2. The receptacle I is provided with a rearwardly-offset boss l3 which the upper end of an upright supporting post I4 is secured. The receptacle i0 is formed, preferably, by casting and it is secured to the upper end of the post M by casting the same upon the latter, the knurled or roughened post portions l5 being provided to insure l9 fixed securement of these parts together.

The post I4 is supported by a base l6 that is provided with an upstanding boss I! having an opening therein to snugly receive the lower end of the post l4. l6 by a'screw 18 applied, as shown, through the base recess l9.

5 The base I6 is of such size and shape that it supports the receptacle I0 without danger of the latter tipping over when the ice is being crushed. ,20

This base is provided with apair of forwardlyextending arms H5 and l6 joined by a web por- I tion 20 having an open-top socket 2| therein for supporting a tumbler or other ice-receiving vessel 22 directly beneath the receptacle out- :25

let [2.

It is quite customary for ice to be formed in the home and elsewhere by means of refrigeration devices. This ice is usually formed in trays,

or the like, in a plurality of comparatively small 1 pieces usually of cube form. It is desirable in many instances, for the sake of convenience, as well as to avoid waste, to break up the ice thus formed into smaller pieces. My invention is particularly adapted for crushing ice cubes and the like; but it is to be understood that it also has ,utility in the crushing of ice in any form that I ties and provides an ice crushing means of a rotatable character which is adapted to pierce and grippingly engage the pieces of ice and drag them into and hold them in crushing position while the crushing operation is taking place.

To the foregoing end; the lower portion of the rear wall 23 'of thereceptacle I 0, slightly above the outlet I2; is provided with a: plurality-01 5 The post i4. is secured to the base 15 shaft 30. One end of this shaft 30 has, prefer- I ably, the bearing member hub 21' cast thereupon while the otherrend of such shaft. is non-rotatably received in a recess in the bearing member hub 1 2s. The latter end of the shaft'30 isdetacha bly secured to the bearing member- 28=by-- a screw'e3lr The outer parts of the bearing members 21 and 2jl are slightly enlarged to provide shoulders 32 and i 33' that' seat upon the outer :surfaces of .the side.

w'a1ls- 25and 26; whereby the shaft and bearing zreceptaclevopening I22.

V in'ember ass'embly:2-1 -=28+-3-0.is rotatably secured t o the receptacle. :The shaft 30 is mountedeccentricallywith -respect to the bearing members :21 an'dil2-8so-that theshaft :30 is. given a linear or reciprocatorymovement as itv is rotated The ishaft 3 supports a plurality f of crushing ja'ws orfingers 34;35, 36,--z31, and 38. 'These'fingers are of compa'ratively thin, .-bladeelikejtform.

One end of each-finger-is provided with an. open-f '-in'g-ofthe size"and shapeof the shaft=3fl so;that they rn'ay' be -passed-thereover and held against -t'erm'ined spaced relation" with .respect. to each The'rotatabl'e 'aws -or-fingers'-.34 to 33 are 's'of hook-or claw-like form. -'I hey' are 'ofisuchshape thattheyjextend tangentially away'from the shaft 7 30 and they each taper and curve into-a clawike en'd po'rtion which'is SufficientIy- Sharp pOintdto ;piercin'gly engage the-ice. I

r. F1 Furthermore;-the"fingers -34 to 38-are arranged 130 successively engage .the ice as wel1 as to sucl -ces'sively'-mo've i into crushing position. Specifically referably mount the middle -finger 34 so that i wilt-assume the downward and crushing positionwhen the handle is in its normaldownfingers 35-and 36 are' mount-ed in -the same'posi- V "-tionapproximately degrees around the sh'aft l gersawill assume substantially the position shown in Fig. 4 as the handle 29 is'moved to an'upright I 5 position and as ;the ice' is' fb'eing grippedffor' the crushing action; 1 r

V The operation and advantages of --my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing. The ice -to be crushed -mayi be dropped into the bjxzt to hold or force the ice into crushing posiainvention'zis highly efficient forice: cru'shingpure;

rotation. =Th'ese fingers aremounted in prede -other by;-the bearinghubsL-ZT and 28 and by' -ward position of -rest-(-F-ig. 3). 'Theinterm'ediate Y receptacle when the handle 29 is in the'positlon shown in Fig. 3. As the handle is rotated from its Fig. 3 position to the position shown in Fig. 4, the fingers 34 to 38 are rotated and the shaft 30 is simultaneously reciprocated upwardly. In this 5 V movement, the finger 34 raises and then grabs the ice and tends to move the same forward and downward toward the stationary jaws 24. As the rotation of the handle is continued, the fingers 35 to, successively engage the ice and hold the same in crushingposition'while the crushing action is taking place, Due to the action of the =,r otatable fingers, the foregoing is carried :out

"without the necessity of using the han d'or other tion. EI'herotatabIe fingers in conjunction with "the'jaws'"24 crush the confined ice in a manner lwhich-iwillizbewell understood- This crushing actionis materially aided by the linear or transverseorreciprocatory motion of the shaft 30 andzo fingers-r34zto .318. during. the, rotation. of \these parts. .The crushed ice.isdischarged-thmugh the bottom I have found that the structure'embodying; my

.poses.: :Itziis quite-simple and it; may bevery cheaply manufactured. @Suchistructure :is,a1so,

exceedingly vstrong .andrzdurable. .Itszembodies. a minimum of operating parts-.-.alltof whichzmayzbe readilyandeas'ilyfand cheaplyrreplaced. .30 .Itwill-be understood-that while-"1 -:ha've.:shown V and described. onlysone formaof.structureembody- Ling my invention, other: changes in 1 details; and arrangements ofxpartsmaybe made .withoutrde- :parting .fromthe spirit; and scope-of my inventione35 assdefine'da by .thesclaims @whichfollow 1 claim: 1 l .1. In a'nice crusher; areceptacleihavingaan'out- .let .in its bottom; afive clawelike cruslqiingigfingers .mountedaabove said outlet;.and:means forimou'nting said fingers including a shaft upoxr'whichjsaid .fingers are :non ro'tatably:securedv in spaced :relationiwithxrespect toxeachrother andztherreceptacle -walls;rotatable memberscarried by'. oppositegside walls. of said receptacle and .to whichithe :.oppo- $45 -....=isite"ends of: saidsshaftzare:nomrotatablyzsecured vcinw.eccentric relationtwithwrespect .theretogione' of said rotatable members being detachably removtiabler from said-shaft;\saidiffingers'sbeing so positioned on lsaid'lshaftth at thezmiddledinger is offset forwardly fromithenexti adjacent Zorfinterme- -..diate'fingers an'dithe'twoi'outside fingersare:oifset rearwardly fromth'interinediate fingers. 1 r

, 2. In an :icercrusher," asreceptaclea having an .outlet'initsbottom; flveclaw-like crushing fingers mounted above said outlet,:.and' means for mount- 7 ing: said}fingers includinglaishaft:upon whichsaid fingers are non-rotatably securedin spaced rela- *tionwith 'respect toaeachiother and the receptacle walls, rotatableim'embers carried by opposite side walls of fsaid receptaclez-and to which the =opposite ends of said shaft are non-rotatably 'secured in eccentrici rel'ation with-respect thereto, one of said rotatable members being detachablysecured to said shaft, a-nd:means-associated therewith to v prevent endwise movement of said-shaft, said fingers being so positioned omsaid'shaft thatthe iouter or' first andfifthfithereof: are ali gn'ed *witheach:-other,;the second and fourth or intermediate thereof are'alig-ned with'each other and are ofiset l =aroundsaid shaft from said outer fingersand' the third or "middle finger is offsetaround said shaft (from all isaid -other fingers.

3. In an ice crushing device including a-recepntacle, a'icrushing unitrwhichcomprises a pair of comparatively large bearing members adapted to be rotatably mounted and supported by the opposite side Walls of the receptacle, a comparatively small poly-sided shaft having its opposite ends eccentrically secured to said bearing members, one of said bearing members being detachably secured to said shaft and having means in engagement with the side wall to prevent transverse movement of said shaft upon its rotation, a plurality of blade-like crushing fingers having one end mounted upon said shaft and being so shaped that their other ends are sharp-pointed and extend away from said shaft in hook-like fashion, and means mounted on said shaft for holding said fingers in spaced relation with respect to each other so that their comparatively narrow forward edges, with respect to direction of rotation, engage the ice, said fingers being so positioned on said shaft that some of them engage the ice in succession.

4. In an ice crushing device, a crushing unit which comprises a pair of comparatively large bearing members adapted to be rotatably mounted, a comparatively small hexagonal shaft having one of its ends permanently secured to one of said bearing members and its opposite end eccentrically mounted and detachably secured to the other of said bearing members and having means for securing said shaft against transverse movement upon its rotation, bearing members, a plurality of blade-like crushing fingers each having a hexagonal opening in one end thereof adapted to snugly receive said shaft, said fingers being so shaped that their other ends are sharppointed and extend away from said shaft in hook.- like fashion, and means mounted on said shaft for holding said fingers in spaced relation with respect to each other so that their comparatively narrow forward edges, with respect to direction of rotation, engage the ice, said fingers being so positioned on said shaft that some of them engage the ice approximately 60 degrees in advance of each 20 

